


Waiting For You

by ShortNotVerticallyChallenged



Category: DC - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-05-18 02:34:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5894710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShortNotVerticallyChallenged/pseuds/ShortNotVerticallyChallenged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A number of different stories featuring the soulmate identifying marks, characters from Marvel and DC and naturally, you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pietro (AoU)/Stark!Reader

**Author's Note:**

> So I have a couple of ideas for these stories as well, and they'll probably be little drabbles that I write but I'd also like to hear what you guys would like to see! So feel free to leave requests and I'll write them as soon as I can!

“You didn’t see that coming?” was scrawled elegantly on your wrist, words that had you wondering for as long as you could remember. The first words that your soulmate would ever say to you. They were words that already had you intrigued and transfixed. 

Would they be said as a joke in a coffee shop after he spilt a drink over you? Or would they be a genuine question in a mission gone wrong with a new partner? 

Since you were five years old you made up stories about how it would go. What you might say if you ever heard those words come out of your soulmates mouth. Of course, you would eventually, otherwise you wouldn’t even have the tattoo on your arm. There were a couple of ‘blank canvases’ in the world. People without soulmate marks. People like Tony Stark, your father. They didn’t have the meeting to look forward to. 

But your proof was right there. 

Right now probably wasn’t the best time to be thinking about that though, you mused. Looking around the snow was high and thick, and quite honestly you were glad that you weren’t walking all the way to the Hydra base in Sokovia. 

No, instead you were comfortably in a car, shooting at the security alongside Hawkeye and the Black Widow. Just like any day really. Between the snarky comments on the comms, the occasional jokes and all the action, these missions always seemed incredibly drawn out and at the same time over all too quickly. 

Jumping off of the car to get close and personal with the guards, it wasn’t a concern to you about keeping up with the others. Cap had thrown his motorcycle at people again, leaving you to wonder how much SHIELD was paying for those bikes, Natasha and Clint were also both on foot now and the other members were also nearby. 

Somewhere. 

“Can you get rid of that thing?” you growled in annoyance at Clint, quickly taking down another Hydra agent. 

“Of course,” he answered cockily, drawing an arrow that both of you knew would explode. Except, it never did. Instead both of you were thrown to the ground, a white haired man cockily walking towards you two. 

“You didn’t see that coming?” he asked, the smugness radiating from him before he disappeared. Your own eyes were wide open, jaw dropping as you looked towards your partner. 

O.o 

Coming to terms with the fact that your soulmate was on Hydra’s side was difficult. What made it easier was he didn’t know he was your soulmate. So mentally, you made yourself swear that you wouldn’t reveal that to him. Simply, you wouldn’t speak whenever he was around. 

That would answer all problems. 

Of course it didn’t satisfy the curiosity. No, there were late nights of reading his files, of digging through the internet to find information on him and his sister. By that point, you could understand him. Or at least you thought you could anyway. 

And you were fully aware he was going to hate you, despite Natasha’s surprisingly motherly consolation and attempts to comfort you about the whole situation. 

So it shouldn’t be surprising that when you next saw him, you completely backtracked. The speedster had been injured, something that definitely wouldn’t take long to heal from what you realised all the implications of his powers were. Still, instead of continuing on, you kneeled next to him, carefully wrapping up the injury, seeing the confusion swirling in his eyes. 

“Why?” he asked, accent thick, as you were about to finish. Eyes shifting up to his, you forced a smile. Still you knew it was tinged with sadness. 

“Because I’m sorry it had to go like this, and I wish that everything went differently… but maybe it can still work out some day,” you told him, watching his own face drop. Pressing a quick and soft kiss to his lips, you stood, taking a step back. 

He was gone a moment later.


	2. Loki/Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one made me a little bit sad while I was writing it to be honest.... there will be a happier Loki one at some point!

Maybe your soulmate was theatrical. 

Or maybe he was just plain crazy. 

Those were the only thoughts you had concerning the tattooed words that would be the first thing your soulmate would ever say to you. Either way, you had decided you did not want to get involved with him. The words tattooed on your skin was something only your parents knew. They too were concerned at the idea of you ever meeting him. 

But what were the chances of meeting him while on a holiday touring Europe? It seemed so unlikely, and yet here you were. Standing on a street in Germany as you looked at a rather handsome man in front of you, wearing a headpiece that had antlers. Now, thinking about it, you knew you were right on both counts. 

He was a madman and he was quite theatrical. 

“Kneel before me. I said… KNEEL! Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel,” his speech was simple, the exact words were ones you already knew, ones tattooed on your skin. And yet, as everyone around you kneeled, you stood, watching him with disappointment at what you found. The cold eyes turned to you, and while he yelled at you to listen or become an example to the others of what would happen, you couldn’t hear a word of it. 

What you did notice was the other person who stood up against him. The person he almost killed without hesitation, and would have too if it weren’t for the man in the Captain America suit. 

Something in you called you to follow him, but in that moment you didn’t. You weren’t sure what to say, you weren’t sure how to say it. 

So you stayed quiet, watching as they took him away. 

Then you ran. You ran as far away as you could so that you wouldn’t ever see him again. 

You never would know that one of the final things that pushed him over the edge was the lack of a soulmate tattoo. The idea of no one ever being able to love him. 

Unlike his brother.


	3. Pre serum!Steve/Reader

You were luckier than most. 

What that meant was that instead of something weird being written on your arm (which would make a memorable first meeting but left you with no information), you had an introduction. ‘Nice to meet you ma’am, my name is Steve Rogers’, was scrawled elegantly on your body in a beautiful cursive form of writing that belonged to the man you were destined to be with. 

Beyond that, even his introduction made him sound sweet, and like quite the gentlemen. There was still a hope that the gentlemen wouldn’t just come out because of the fact that you were his soulmate. 

In all your dreams he was a good man. A man with ideals. A man that had passion. A gentleman with good manners. 

Despite the name though, it was surprisingly hard to find this ‘Steve Rogers’. Then again, the world was a big place and there was no guarantee that he would be in America. But one day, one day you’d meet him. 

And until then there was nothing wrong with having a little fun!

That was how you found yourself going dancing once again with a group of friends. Of course, it didn’t stay like that for long given that you’d allowed yourselves to be pulled onto the dance floor by different men. The man who had picked you was a dreamboat, but it wasn’t something that you could really think about. 

What was good was that both of you agreed that finding a soulmate would be the ultimate joy. 

“So what are your words Mr Barnes?” you asked, a teasing grin on your face as he swung you around on the dance floor. The otherwise quite confident man seemed a bit more shy when it came to that question, you smiled at the affect that the idea of his soulmate had on him.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours doll,” the cocky grin was back on his face, your own flushing at the mention of your soulmate. He’d turned the tables quicker than you’d expected him to. 

“Nice to meet you ma’am, my name is Steve Rogers,” you finally answered, averting your eyes. You noticed him tense, and looked up to him curiously. 

“What’s your full name?” he asked suddenly. 

“_____ _____,” you answered, head tilted to the side in a question. The largest grin crossed his face as you told him, immediately dragging you off of the dance floor. “What are you doing?” 

“Taking you to your soulmate doll,” he answered confidently, dragging you to a booth that was far away. “Steve, I’ve got someone I think you’d love to meet.” 

Before turning around, Steve took a breath in. He wasn’t interested, he’d told Bucky that a number of times whenever Bucky had tried to set him up with other women. Or whenever he’d tried to get him to dance with them. Not that it helped considering that the girls were never interested in him. Not the little guy who they towered above. Instead he was waiting for his girl. His soulmate. The words written on his arm giving him hope that she wouldn’t care about his looks. 

That she would be able to love him. 

As he swivelled, he noticed a blushing and rather nervous but excited looking beauty next to his best friend. And Bucky? He seemed even more excited than usually. Despite his own confusion at the situation, he still had the manners to stand to introduce himself to you that stood in front of him. 

“Nice to meet you ma’am, my name is Steve Rogers,” he introduced himself, watching the look of happiness spread on your face. 

“_____ _____… I hear you’ve been waiting to dance with me,” you answered shyly, watching his own face drop. He studied yours for a moment, looking for any hint of disappointment on your face at what you’d found your soulmate to be. There was none. 

“Go have some fun punk,” Bucky interjected, trying to get things moving. Steve nodded, grabbing your offered hand to go dance with you, you patiently walking him through the steps. 

For once it was Bucky watching the dancing from the wall, though a delighted grin was plastered on his face. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. And it turned out he had been right all along. 

He’d always said that he’d be the one to introduce Steve’s soulmate to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a happier one! Like I replied to a lovely person who commented on this story I will be writing for all kinds of marvel and dc characters, feel free to leave a request for characters you'd like to see soon. Also not all of these will be sad, and as you've seen not all of them will be happy... 
> 
> I will give you a happy Loki one at some point though, and might write a part 2 to the Pietro one.


	4. Loki/Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the same as the first Loki/Reader fic, except one of you requested a scenario in which the reader did go talk to Loki! So here it is! Hope you enjoy it.

“Kneel before me. I said… KNEEL! Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel,” his speech was simple, the exact words were ones you already knew, ones tattooed on your skin. 

You couldn’t believe that this was your soulmate. This was the person that was destined to be with you. The person perfect for you. 

You stood, watching him with curiosity, sadness and disappointment at what you found. Everyone around you kneeling. The cold eyes turned to you, and while he yelled at you to listen or become an example to the others of what would happen, you couldn’t hear a word of it. 

What you did notice was the other person who stood up against him. The person he almost killed without hesitation, and would have too if it weren’t for the man in the Captain America suit. 

Something in you called you to follow him, but in that moment you didn’t. You weren’t sure what to say, you weren’t sure how to say it. 

So you stayed quiet, watching as they took him away. 

You should have run. Your entire body was screaming that he was danger and you needed to stay as far away from him as you could. Instead you found yourself running towards them, grabbing onto the arm of the man in the Captain America suit. 

“It’s alright ma’am, your safe now,” his American accent assured you, clearly thinking you were distressed or in shock. 

“No, wait… you don’t understand, I need to get in,” you rambled, peering passed him to see the cold eyes once again. 

“Ma-“ he was clearly trying to convince you to leave well enough alone. Shaking your head vehemently, you moved to brush by him but he quickly grabbed you and held you. This man was definitely too strong for you to fight off. 

“No!” you cut him off, eyes shifting from your soulmate to him. “I think I can help. I have to help. And I am not leaving him.” 

The man’s grip loosened, his eyes looking in confusion, wondering if you were a civilian or an accomplice to the demigod that they had just placed in the quinjet. Moving one arm, you shifted, pulling up the side of your shirt to show the words written across your stomach. 

The speech that the cold eyed man had just spoken. 

That had earned a look of pity and understanding from the Captain, although you didn’t even notice. With his permission you had moved into the quinjet, seeing the confusion in the man’s eyes. He scared you. He definitely scared you. But you were his… and that gave you hope that he would accept it. 

That he wouldn’t hurt you. 

He sneered at you, looking entirely unimpressed. It was silly, but it hurt a little bit. 

“Come to watch?” he mocked. “Come to see me helpless to expel me from your nightmares?” Shaking your head at him you dared to move a little bit closer. To crouch before him, slowly moving to take his hands into your own. You were surprised that he didn’t move away. Perhaps you had succeeded in catching him off guard. 

“I’m here to be with you. To help you… if you let me. All I want in return is that you explain why,” you said softly, his eyes displaying his shock. The cold eyes softened though, even if there was no other sign. 

You felt him squeeze your hands lightly. 

It would be a long road. But maybe there was hope for the two of you.


	5. Dick Grayson/Reader

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this wasn't what I expected it to be, and it took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I wrote like 10 different scenarios and kept having problems with characterisation of Dick Grayson, so I hope this does him some justice! I'll probably write a different version, but I did have fun with this reader too!

Crime fighting was dangerous. 

It was a lesson that Dick Grayson had learnt in the first few months that he had gone by ‘Robin’, working with Batman. Through that he promised himself that once he met his soulmate, he’d stop being a vigilante. A soulmate wasn’t something that he was willing to risk. 

Of course he’d never thought that maybe he’d never meet his soulmate. He had the mark, shouldn’t that mean he was destined to meet them? 

Now he wasn’t so sure though. He’d been in a lot of tight situations over the years, but this one felt different. He was more tired than usual. Less hopeful than usual. It wasn’t like he should’ve expected otherwise, it was the first time he’d been in this situation when he was working alone. It would take time for people to notice that he was missing. 

Groaning in pain, he had pulled himself to a wall, propping himself up against it. 

“Let go,” a soft voice had said. It was spoken softly, almost eerily. His eyes darted over to the next cell, looking at the person sitting in a lotus position on the ground. Before he could respond it continued. “Pain is a choice… have you ever heard that to survive sometimes you have to kill your mind?” 

Those words were tattooed on his side. His eyes widened, not from pain. Especially as the soft and innocent, though seemingly removed voice trailed off, leading to a psychotic laugh that led to them falling on their back. 

His soulmate was mental. Probably for a reasonable cause, he’d been here for a few days at most and had already endured beatings and torture that would leave their marks. He was wondering how long his soulmate had been there. The mere thought of them being tortured left him filled with anger, promising himself revenge for once he got them out of there. 

“I’m going to hold onto my mind and get us both out of here. I’m going to save our lives, and then I’m going to protect you,” he swore, and for a moment he saw the body freeze, slowly shifting to him curiously. A spark of hope flared inside him that perhaps it meant that they realised who he was. 

“I had a tattoo like that…” the words were whispered seriously, before the voice contorted to something more childish, with a sing song tone. “It’s not nice to make promises you can’t keep though… didn’t your mother teach you that?” 

Dick Grayson was certain that his heart shattered in that moment. Everyone understood what a soulmate was, except his own. But it filled him with determination anyway. Determination to keep his promise. 

To make a better life for his soulmate, and with any luck, they might just recover to something a bit more like what they were.


	6. Tony Stark/Reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this took forever thanks to the first semester of law school but the next few should be up soon, I have a to do list which includes Damian, Star Lord, and part twos to the Loki, Steve and Pietro ones that I previously wrote! 
> 
> Though, Loki might end up getting his own story.... 
> 
> We'll see how this goes!

As a teenager the billionaire had been excited to meet his soulmate. The tattoo on his stomach meant that they were out there somewhere. But where? 

After his parents died, he had been hopeful that they would be there to catch him. To help him. A latent, romantic notion that was in his mind. They never showed. Instead he took to drinking, to partying and sleeping with beautiful women who weren’t just waiting around for their soulmate, or a blank canvas. 

Blank canvases were usually a better bet. Based on his behaviour, he knew that most of them thought he was also a blank canvas. It was always dark when he slept with them, so none of them ever saw the intricate writing on his torso. 

Then he had met Pepper. She was another blank canvas, a person who had supported him in a way no other human had in years. He was certain that he had loved her. He was also certain that she loved him too until he had finally admitted that there was a tattoo on him. 

Pepper had said she didn’t wanted to be with someone with a soulmate. He would leave her whenever he found his soulmate, at least that was her excuse. A previous boyfriend had apparently done the same to her. 

She wouldn’t believe that he actually did love her. 

That was two years and a lot of one night stands ago. At least now he knew that relationships weren’t worth pursuing. 

At least, he had thought that. 

Until the morning when the newest member of the Avengers had finally opened her mouth instead of ignoring him and refusing to speak whenever he wandered into a room they were in or tried to flirt with them.

“Could you just leave me alone? I’ve known exactly who you are and what you’re like since I first saw a newspaper with you and you know what? I wish I’d never met you because you never have cared and never will, so just stop!” his heart had stopped at hearing those words, and while he felt he should be hurt at his soulmates reaction to him, it was bound to be that. He’d always known that that was what they were going to say.

In two strides he had reached them, even with his soulmate’s attempt to move away. While they seemed a bit scared, all he did was immediately pull them into a tight hug. Tony could feel his soulmate tense before trying to push him off. 

“I will never stop,” he promised softly, squeezing tighter to know that they were actually there. To know that he was actually holding his soulmate.


	7. Matt Murdock/Reader

How can you respond to being accused of murder? 

How will people judge you based on a mug shot or footage of you being placed into a police car and hauled away in front of media? 

That was a good question, one that you’d never thought you’d need to even think about let alone live through. The whole thing is so much of a shock your body feels numb. You allow yourself to be guided to the car without protest, being compliant as you go through the process of being booked and processed. Even when they take your mugshot, you’re in too much shock to really do anything about it. 

Perhaps you could be proud of how you have held up thanks to the shock. You didn’t immediately fall to pieces. After being left in a holding cell for half an hour, the shock wears off though. At that point you breakdown. Tears continue to stream down your face as your brain finally processes all the implications of the charge. 

It’s in the middle of your break down that two men enter the holding cell. Both are wearing cheap suits, one is holding a cane and it takes a few moments for you to realise he’s blind. The other man has a broad grin on his face. Even in the frazzled state you are in, you feel like he shouldn’t be smiling. It doesn’t feel like the right situation to smile, especially not with your life literally falling apart. 

“Hello, we’re your lawyers, Nelson and Murdock,” the one with the large smile introduces the two of them. At least you had lawyers. Even if you have no clue why you have them or how you’re going to pay them. You sniffle, trying to stop the tears. If it was embarrassing to have a breakdown like this when you can’t see anyone, it’s even worse when people are in the room with you. “I’m Nelson and-“ 

“I’m Matt Murdock. Are you doing alright?” the dark haired man with the cane says. There’s a phantom tingle across your thigh where your tattoo is located. You immediately recognise the words, and that gets through to you in the middle of your breakdown. The tears stopped, you blink at the blind man once, then again. Your heart has sped up, and then suddenly you’re laughing. 

You had lost your mind.

Even the lawyer with the grin, Nelson you remembered, looks moderately concerned at this sudden change. 

“You know, as good as you can be when you’ve been charged with a murder you didn’t commit,” the words slipped out of your mouth. Both of the lawyers in front of you freeze, and you know they recognise the words. Nelson responds first, the grin back on his face as he lets out what can best be described as an excited yell crossed with a laugh. 

Matt pauses for another moment, seemingly trying to come up with the right thing to say. Nelson beats him to it though. 

“Did you know that you are responsible for this man going into criminal law?” Matt clears his throat. While it’s obvious that Nelson has more to say, and wants to go on to say whatever it is he stops. “You know… I’m going to go and… um… wait in the hall. Give you both a second to… you know.”

He stumbles over his words, and then follows it up by getting up clumsily. But he does leave the room, leaving you with your soulmate. The only things you know about the man who you are destined to be with is he’s blind, he’s a lawyer and his name is Matt Murdock. You decide you quite like the name. In your head it feels like something that could roll off of the tongue easily. 

“Sorry about Foggy, he’s just… excitable. Ever since we started Nelson and Murdock he’s been going on about us finding you,” Matt explains. He reaches into his briefcase, pulling out a small pocket pack of issues and holding it in your direction. Accepting it graciously, you try to wipe the tears off of your face and blow your nose. 

This definitely wasn’t the best time to meet your soulmate. But at least he was blind? So even if you looked a mess, he wouldn’t know better. 

“I can’t pay you,” is the first thing that blurts out of your mouth, and you see an amused smile cross Matt’s face. 

“Believe me you don’t need to,” he reassures you. Then he reaches forward with an open hand, and while you hesitate you reach forward anyway to place your hand in his. He squeezes your hand lightly and it is the first thing that feels real. Something that seems to be grounding you. 

Your soulmate is your lawyer. On the bright side, you know the truth. You know you are in fact innocent and you have your full trust in Matt Murdock to prove that in court. You look forward to what happens afterwards, when you have the chance to get to know him. You have an odd feeling that everything will be alright. 

Besides which, this will be a fun story to tell when people ask how you met.


End file.
